Lessons from the pit

Having played the bass in played in high school, college, and professional pit orchestras, I've learned that accompanying singers is considerably different from simply playing in an orchestra or jazz band.  To anyone who is about to play in a pit orchestra for the first time, you can expect that most of the following things will happen:

• It will be necessary not to be too wedded to any number's precise tempo.  In the heat of the moment, a singer might have an adrenaline surge or an attack of nerves and fly through a song at twice the tempo you've rehearsed it.  If you play a stringed instrument, I'd advise having a bionic arm on hand for such occasions.  I remember the first night of a professional production in which a soloist took her part and ran with it from the moment she started singing.  Everyone in the pit adjusted on the fly, although the piano player looked manic throughout the piece, and at least one of the wind players nearly turned blue.  Flexibility is critical when you're in a pit orchestra.
• When the orchestra pit is below the stage and you can't see the actors, you might feel as though you're listening to a radio program from the '40s.  Your ears will likely pick up every subtle variation in an actor's performance from night to night.  If an actor's character is especially melodramatic, a line such as, "I'm afraid it's the only thing to do," might turn into "I'm aFRAID it's the ONly thing to DOOOOOOOO!" over time.
• Even though the actors are delivering the same lines and the orchestra is playing the same music each night, expect audience reaction to vary from night to night--especially if the air conditioner stops working.
• Expect to be moved by the curtain calls, especially on opening night.  This is especially true during high school performances.  Your friends might impress you by writing perceptive English papers, proving triangles congruent on the chalkboard, or explaining the historical significance of various presidential elections.  Those demonstrations of skill and talent will pale, however, in comparison to seeing them bring characters to life and sing with passion and conviction that you might not know they had.  After a great performance, you will know them, even if only from a distance, in a way you didn't before.  You also can't underestimate the power of applause for a job well-done.  Typically, students and teachers in an algebra class don't cheer, stomp their feet, and whistle while shouting, "Rock on!  Way to find the y-intercept in problem 12!"  The enthusiastic feedback that actors and musicians elicit upon hearing the audience's cheers, however, can't help but make them glad they followed their dreams.  After nearly every pit orchestra performance, I felt as though I could take on the world.  I would also think, "I feel euphoric, and I wasn't even on stage.  Imagine how on-top-of-the-world the actors must feel."

Enjoy your time in the pit!  No other experience you have playing music for fun or for a living will be quite like it.